Carew, on loan at Stoke from Aston Villa, has not played since the Potters' 3-0 Premier League defeat at West Ham on March 5. A lower back problem ruled Carew out of the FA Cup win over West Ham and last weekend's 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle. The 31-year-old has now failed in his race to be fit for the Group H meeting with Scandinavian rivals Denmark in Oslo on Saturday. Carew told the Norwegian Football Association's official website: "I am sad to miss this important international. "I've done all I can to recover in time, but unfortunately the match comes just a little too early for me." Norway sit top of Group H on nine points from three matches, with Portugal in second place on seven points from four games. Denmark occupy third place with six points from their three matches.
